


Ash

by sugaplumvisions



Series: Writeober 2019 - KNB Ficlets and Drabbles [13]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Changelings, Fae & Fairies, Fairy Tale Elements, Horror Elements, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 20:40:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21021947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugaplumvisions/pseuds/sugaplumvisions
Summary: They say to never go in the circle of ash trees behind the school, or the faeries will come to take you away. They say to swear by oak, ash, and hawthorne to protect yourself. They say to carry an iron train spike, wear it at your thigh. They say to string yourself with lavender blossoms and silver bells.They say a lot, and Kagami, new to the town, never listens to any of it.





	Ash

They say to never go in the circle of ash trees behind the school, or the faeries will come to take you away. They say to swear by oak, ash, and hawthorne to protect yourself. They say to carry an iron train spike, wear it at your thigh. They say to string yourself with lavender blossoms and silver bells. 

They say a lot, and Kagami, new to the town, never listened to any of it, blowing it off as so many old wives’ tales. 

“Come on, Kuroko,” Kagami said one night. “I’m tired, and it’s a shortcut.” 

“You don’t walk between the ash trees,” Kuroko said. “Furihata’s sister did that one day and came back strange.” 

“Girls are strange enough on their own,” Kagami said. “I’m sure it’s nothing. You coming?” 

Kuroko froze, felt a cold wind start to blow in his heart. “No, Kagami-kun. I’m not going, and you shouldn’t either.” 

Kagami laughed and walked into the circle of trees. “Look, Kuroko! Nothing to be afraid of!” 

“Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be afraid,” Kuroko said. He darted into the circle and grabbed Kagami by the wrist, dragging him out with every inch of power and fear in his small body. 

“Whoa, Kuroko,” Kagami said as they got back to the sidewalk. He looked at Kuroko, saw him blinking back tears. “Kuroko, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it mattered that much to you.” He took one big hand and wiped away Kuroko’s tears. 

“Kagami-kun, promise me,” Kuroko said. “You have to promise you’ll never go in the ash trees again. And you have to wear silver and iron tomorrow.” Kuroko pulled a bracelet off his wrist and stretched the protective beads around Kagami’s wrist. 

“I promise,” Kagami said. “I still don’t believe in that crap, but if it will make you feel better… I’ll do it.” 

The next day, they met where they usually did on their route to school. 

“New cologne?” Kuroko asked, absentmindedly, still sleepy, not really looking at Kagami. 

“Yeah, I guess,” Kagami said. 

He smelled like vanilla and sounded like the ringing of bells floating out across the ocean. His voice was unmistakably Kagami’s, but the cadence was wrong, somehow.  
“You’re not Kagami-kun,” Kuroko said. He looked up at the...boy? Thing? For the first time, and saw Kagami’s face, but not Kagami’s face. The baby fat that padded the corners was gone, leaving him all angles and planes. The eyebrows were too delicately arched, the ears coming to the slightest point. 

“But I could be what you want,” the thing said. “Tetsuya.” 

Kuroko jumped back as if he’d been struck. “I want Kagami-kun.” 

“I am Kagami,” the thing said. “Your Taiga. And I could love you so sweetly, if only you’d let me. I could give you everything you’ve ever wanted.” 

“You’re. Not. Him,” Kuroko said. 

The thing that was not Kagami Taiga laughed. “I’m him enough for everyone else. You’ll come around soon enough.” 

Kuroko left school early that day, claiming a stomachache. It was true; his stomach did hurt from looking at the creature in front of him. 

They all knew where the Hill was. You did not look at the Hill, did not think about the Hill, did not pass by the Hill if you could at all help it. 

You certainly did not stand at the base of the hill and entreat the fae to let you inside. 

A moment after his entreaty, Kuroko found himself in a dark space that smelled of cinnamon and saffron. He turned on the flashlight he’d brought and started walking. 

It seemed like he’d walked for hours, lost in the twists and turns of the labyrinth, by the time he heard music. He followed the trilling of strange pipes down the corridors that his flashlight almost refused to light properly until he reached a long room, full of light and food and dancing. 

“Wine?” a pixie asked him, skin green as a fresh-peeled branch. He tried not to stare at her wings. 

“Not today,” Kuroko said, nodding politely. He knew never to partake of faerie food, but even more he knew to never thank the Fair Folk. They may take it as a bargain. “I’m looking for my friend,” Kuroko said. “You may have seen him? He’s tall, with bright red hair and eyes. He’s not built like a faerie; he’s solid muscle.” 

“I’ll tell you for the price of a dance,” the pixie said. Kuroko nodded, and the pixie swept him into her arms, whirling wildly about the dance floor, till Kuroko was exhausted and gasping for breath. The room seemed to change about them as they spun, the revels growing darker and wilder. The pipes played faster, faster, faster, until--

“One dance.” Kuroko said when they finally paused. “I promised you one, and you promised my friend.” 

“Ah, the queen’s new serving boy!” the pixie said. “You’d have to ask the queen about him. Though I would give him up as lost, if I were you. She’s taken quite a fancy to him.” 

Kuroko nodded. “You have good information.” It was as close to a thank you as he could give. “But he’s my friend.” 

The pixie laughed wildly. “You love him!” she said. 

Kuroko turned to push through the revels, and looked back at the pixie with a sad smile on his face. “And what of it?” 

He let himself become unseen then, sliding through the party like a ghost. Finally, he reached the throne. 

The queen wore a throne of gilded branches. At her feet was Kagami, holding a goblet of wine on a silver tray. 

“Give me back my friend,” Kuroko said. “He belongs to the upper world.” 

“He invited us to take him,” the queen said. “He stood in our circle and laughed at our laws. He came to our hill and supped of our wine. It is our right.” 

“I cannot let you keep him,” Kuroko said. “He does not belong to you.” 

The queen gave a scornful laugh. “Who are you to address me like this?” 

“I am Shadow,” Kuroko said, knowing to never give his name to the fae. “He is Light. You must not part us.” 

“Well then, by all means,” the queen said. “Take him back.” 

Kuroko reached for his hand, pulling insistently. “Come on, come home. I’ve been so worried about you.” 

The queen tittered as Kagami shook away Kuroko’s hand. 

“I live to serve my queen,” Kagami said. There was something wrong about him. His pupils were so small as to be almost nonexistent. 

“No you don’t!” Kuroko said. “You live for sunlight, and basketball, and eating too much at Maji Burger and…” he trailed off. “And me.” 

“I live to serve my queen,” Kagami repeated. 

Kuroko hauled back and slapped him full across the face. 

“Who dares strike what belongs to the queen?” Kagami said. He glared at Kuroko. 

“You don’t belong to her!” Kuroko yelled. “You belong to yourself!” He took a deep breath. “You belong to me!” 

He leaned up and captured Kagami’s lips with his own, kissing long and deep. 

“Come home, Kagami-kun,” he whispered as he finally pulled back for air. 

Kagami’s pupils dilated. “Kuro--” 

“Ssssh,” Kuroko said, pressing his fingers over his mouth. “No names here.” 

“You came for me. You saved me. You...you didn’t have to kiss me,” Kagami said, ducking his head, blushing. 

“I wanted to,” Kuroko said. “I’ve wanted to for a long time.” 

“Oh,” Kagami said. “That’s good, all things considered.” Kagami bent down and lazily pressed his lips against Kuroko’s again. 

“As nice as this is,” Kuroko said, “And believe me, it is.” He paused to offer Kagami a small smile. “There are better places to kiss me.” His smile turned into an all-out grin. “Let’s go home.”


End file.
